Grip with Torsional Stiffness

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to an improved hand grip  20,30, 30, 40, 50  for a shock imparting implement, like a golf club grip, that provides a selected portion A of the cap  22, 32, 42, 52  on the grip with a greater hardness than the portion B of the body  24, 34, 44, 54  of the grip. The selected portion A of the cap  22, 32, 42, 52  improves the torsional stiffness to resist twisting during the swing of the implement.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to a hand grip for a shock imparting implement and, more particularly, to an improved variable hardness golf grip with improved torsional stiffness.

BACKGROUND

There are many different types of grips used today for a wide variety of items, including without limitation, golf clubs, tools (hammer handles, screwdrivers, etc.), racquets (racquet ball, squash, badminton, or tennis racquets), bats (baseball or softball), pool cues, umbrellas, fishing rods, etc. While particular reference for this disclosure is being made for the application to golf club grips, it should be immediately apparent that the present disclosure is applicable to other grips as well.

Slip-on golf club grips made of a molded rubber material or synthetic polymeric materials are well known and widely used in the golf industry. The term “slip-on” as employed herein refers to a grip that slides on to a shaft or handle and is secured by way of an adhesive, tape, or the like. Slip-on grips are available in many designs, shapes, and forms.

Golf club grips historically have been made from a wide variety of materials such as leather wrapped directly on the handle or leather wrapped on a sleeve or an underlisting that is slipped on to the handle, or more recently made of rubber, polyurethane or other elastomeric materials. Efforts are constantly being made to improve the gripping quality of the grip without sacrificing the torsional resistance of the grip on the handle or club. Currently, there is great interest in the so-called dual durometer grips which are grips that apply two layers of different materials with varying hardness to provide a grip that has good grip feel and still provides good swing performance.

While these dual durometer grips do provide good grip feel over the length of the grip, there are times when the user would like to be more selective on the structure of the grip for improved torsional stiffness for a grip with more stability.

Thus, there still exists a need for a hand grip that provides a variable hardness in the grip to improve the torsional stiffness of the grip to resist twisting during swinging of the implement. This improved grip has greater swing stability for maximizing the responsiveness and effectiveness when swinging the implement with the grip.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to a hand grip formed from materials to provide a varying hardness in selected sections of the grip for improving the torsional stiffness of the grip for the user. The improved grip may include indicators for the user to easily identify the desired grasp zone of the grip offering improved grip stability and anti-slippery effect when swinging a shock imparting implement.

A more particular aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a golf club grip having an elongated tubular body having a hollow core constructed to slip on to a golf club shaft. The golf grip has a cap at an upper end of the tubular body. At the opposite or lower end of the tubular body there is an open tip end which receives the golf club shaft. The cap includes a portion extending a selected distance in the tubular body and has a hardness value greater than that of the remainder of the tubular body. The selected distance of the cap portion corresponds substantially to a selected zone at the base of an open hand of the user.

In one embodiment, the cap includes one or more annular rings with grooves constructed to receive elastomeric material making up at least a portion of the tubular body for facilitating attachment of the cap to the body. In another embodiment, the cap includes one or more projections constructed for incorporation within the body of the grip to function as stiffening elements for improving torsional stiffness in a selected region of the grip.

The various features of novelty which characterize the present disclosure are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the instant disclosure, its operating advantages, and specific objects and aspects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, and descriptive matter in which preferred embodiments are illustrated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a golf club grip showing the size and area of a cap labeled C on a prior art golf grip.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the hands of a golfer positioning the improved golf grip according to the present disclosure therein.

FIG. 3 is a schematic frontal view of a golf club grip indicating the selected regions of an improved golf club grip according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view taken from FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a schematic frontal view of one embodiment of the improved grip made in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along lines 6-6 from FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a schematic frontal view of another embodiment of the improved golf club grip according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a schematic frontal view of still another embodiment of the improved golf club grip according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure is described with reference to the accompanying drawings with preferred embodiments illustrated and described. The disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the disclosure and the drawings. In the figures, the thickness of certain lines, layers, components, elements or features may be exaggerated for clarity. Broken lines illustrate optional features or operations unless specified otherwise. All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

Even though the embodiments of this disclosure are particularly suited as golf club grips and reference is made specifically thereto, it should be immediately apparent that embodiments of the present disclosure are applicable to other grips for shock imparting implements.

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown a prior art golf club grip 10 with cap 12 located at an upper end of a tubular body 16. Cap 12 has a portion C that extends approximately 5 to 8 millimeters (mm) from the butt end 14 of the golf grip 10. The tubular body 16 has a hollow core and a tapered open tip 18 at a lower end of body 16 for receiving a shaft (not shown) of the golf club. While this structure and arrangement has been employed for a number of years for golfers, the present disclosure recognizes that the grip 10 still could be improved structurally with variable hardness in a selected area or region of the grip to increase the grip's stability, provide more resistance, and provide greater stability to the golfer while holding the grip. In the present disclosure the term “left hand stability” as employed herein is intended to mean someone who uses their left hand as their primary hand of choice in initially grasping a golf grip while using the other hand, in this case the right hand, in the swinging action. This would be the typical positioning of hands for a right-handed person holding and swinging a golf club. Naturally this positioning of hands on the grip would be the opposite for a left-handed person.

Referring to FIG. 2, there is depicted in dashed lines the left hand 17 and right hand 19 of a golfer holding a golf club grip 20 according to the present disclosure. Right handed golfers often will wear a glove on their left hand 17 as seen in FIG. 2 for a better hold on the grip. There exists a zone D on the inner base of an open hand of a user, for example the left hand as seen in FIG. 2, where the cap 22 portion A of the grip 20 is placed when the golfer is positioning the grip 20 for play. Naturally for a left-handed person, the placement of the hands would be opposite that shown in FIG. 2 and zone D would be in a corresponding location on the right hand. As illustrated in Figure 2, fingers on the right hand 19 may interlock with those of the left hand 17 for what is considered in the game of golf as a normal position for holding a golf club grip. U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,054 assigned to the assignee of the present disclosure describes various hand positions for holding a golf club grip and is hereby incorporated by reference. Hand placement on a golf club grip is an important factor in a golf swing. Hand placement can influence the distance and direction of the flight of the golf ball.

The present disclosure selectively provides a stiffer structure that is harder in the A region or portion of the cap 22 of the golf grip 20 than the B region or portion making up the remainder of the grip 20 including the body 24 with the tip end as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. The cap 22 portion of the present disclosure extends into the body 24 of grip 20 to a selected distance d to allow that portion A of grip 20 to fit in a substantially corresponding manner in zone D of the hand of the golfer. Cap 22 extends into the body 24 a greater distance than the cap 12 of the prior art grip 10. The cap 22 portion depicted as A extends from the butt end of the grip 20 to approximately 24 mm, and more preferably to approximately 21.57 mm. The A portion represents approximately eight percent of the area of the grip 20. In addition, the A portion has a durometer value ranging from approximately 60 to approximately 90 Shore A whereas the remainder of the grip 20 as seen in the B region in FIG. 3 has a durometer value ranging from approximately 38 to approximately 60 Shore A which is much softer than the cap 22 portion A. The durometer value or rating is an international standard for the hardness measurement of rubber, plastic, elastomers, or other nonmetallic materials. Durometers are described in the American Society for Testing and Material specification ASTM D2240.

The golf grip 20 of the present disclosure extends the elastomeric cap 22 which may include a first indicia or design 25, for example, the cross indicia, into the body 24 which may also include complementary or differing second indicia or design 27, for example, the U line indicia. Certain of the indicia 25, 27 may be molded or alternatively cut into the cap 22 region or the body 24 portion of grip 20 to a desired depth and width that may differ from the depth and width of other third indicia 29, for example, the diamond design, to allow for a better grip as described later herein. Preferably the body 24 has an elastomeric hollow tubular shape with a hollow core for a swing grip and an elastomeric fairly tubular shape with a hollow core and one side having a fairly flat surface for use as a putter grip. The improved grip 20 according to the present disclosure has improved grip stability as well as structural design. In addition, the improved grip 20 may exhibit greater swing stability and an anti-slippery effect. As used herein the term “swing stability” refers to how easily the grip twists in the golfer's hands during the shock imparting motion associated with the swing and impact of a golf club striking the golf ball. The grip 20 won't twist as easily and exhibits more stability.

FIGS. 5 and 6 depict still another embodiment of the improved grip 30 according to the present disclosure. Annular grooves 31 are disposed in cap 32 portion A to form annular rings 33. The grooves 31 facilitate co-molding the cap 32 into the body 34 of the grip 30 as seen in FIG. 6 and fastening the cap 32 thereto. The rings 33 together with portion A further function as stiffening elements to resist twisting of the grip 30 by the portion A of cap 32 during the golf swing. The body 34 of grip 30 in the B region as in the earlier embodiment is softer, more tactile for an enhanced face angle control of the club head and heightened sensitivity for the golfer. The A portion of cap 32 represents approximately eight percent of the area of the grip 30. In addition, the A region has a durometer value ranging from approximately 60 to approximately 90 Shore A whereas the remainder of the grip 30 as seen in the B region in FIG. 5 has a durometer value ranging from approximately 38 to approximately 60 Shore A which is much softer than the cap 32 region. Cap 32 is approximately 50 mm in length, and preferably 75 mm. The grooves 31 have a depth of approximately 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm and a width of approximately 1.5 mm to 6.0 mm. Preferably the grooves 31 have a depth of 2 mm and a width of 3.5 mm.

In other embodiments of the present disclosure as seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, the cap 42 of grip 40 includes a plurality of branch elements 43 that may have different forms and are co-molded into the body 44 of grip 40. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the plurality of branch elements 43 have a fairly cylindrical or rectangular form, like pillars, extending from an inner edge 45 of cap 42. As with the cap 32 previously described, cap 42 with its branch elements may be co-molded into the body 44 of grip 40. Branch elements 43 extend approximately 50.0 mm into the body 44 from the inner edge 45 of the cap 40. Each of the branch elements 43 are approximately 1.0 mm to approximately 3.0 mm wide, and approximately 10.0 mm to approximately 75.0 mm long. They may be approximately 1.0 mm to approximately 2.5 mm thick. Preferably each branch element 43 is 50.0 mm long, 2 mm wide, and have a thickness of 1.5 mm. The A portion in grip 40 also represents approximately eight percent of the area of the grip 40. In addition, the A portion has a durometer value ranging from approximately 60 to approximately 90 Shore A whereas the remainder of the grip 40 as seen in the B region in FIG. 7 has a durometer value ranging from approximately 38 to approximately 60 Shore A which is much softer than the cap 42 region

FIG. 8 depicts yet another embodiment of the present disclosure where the branch elements 53 of the cap 52 have a different shape but can still provide the same beneficial effects on grip stability and stiffness as the previous embodiment. The branch elements 53 have a triangular form rather than the pillar form of the branch elements 43. It should be immediately apparent that the branch elements may take a wide variety of forms providing they offer the grip stability, stiffness, and hardness as described herein. The branch elements 53 are approximately 8.0 mm to approximately 15.0 mm long and extend into the body 54 of the grip 50. The base of the triangular branch elements 53 are approximately 2.0 mm to approximately 4.0 mm wide.

Indicators are valuable guides for the golfer to easily locate the proper position for holding the golf club. These indicators according to the subject disclosure may be decorative as well as being functional and will be more fully described herein. In the present disclosure another embodiment utilizes various indicia that differ in a plurality of width and depth into the grip. For example as seen in FIG. 3, the cross indicia 25 have a width of approximately 0.3 mm to approximately 0.7 mm and a depth of approximately 0.45 mm to approximately 0.85 mm. The U line indicia 27 have a width of approximately 0.5 mm to approximately 0.9 mm and a depth of approximately 0.45 mm to approximately 0.85 mm. The diamond indicia 29 have a width of approximately 2.8 mm to approximately 3.2 mm, and a depth of approximately 0.3 mm to approximately 0.7 mm. Preferably the cross indicia 25 has a width of 0.5 mm and a depth of 0.65 mm. Preferably the U line indicia 27 has a width of 0.7 mm and a depth of 0.65 mm. Preferably the diamond indicia 29 has a width of 3.0 mm and a depth of 0.5 mm. While the indicia in the present disclosure have these forms and shapes, it should be immediately apparent that other indicia may be used with varying widths and depths as described herein to achieve the desired anti-slippery effect and integral comfort along with the functional and visual beauty.

While specific embodiments of the disclosure have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the disclosure, it will be understood that there may be other embodiments without departing from such principles. 

We claim:
 1. A golf club grip, comprising: an elongated tubular body having a hollow core constructed to slip on to a golf club shaft, said body further including a cap at an upper end of said body and an open tip at a lower end for receiving the golf club shaft, said cap having a portion extending into said body a selected distance, said cap having a hardness value greater than said body, wherein said selected distance of said extending portion of said cap corresponds substantially to a selected zone at the inner base of an open hand of a user.
 2. The grip as recited in claim 1, wherein said extending portion of said cap includes at least one annular groove and at least one annular ring for co-molding said cap with said body.
 3. The grip as recited in claim 2, wherein said extending portion of said cap includes a plurality of annular grooves and a plurality of annular rings for co-molding said cap with said body.
 4. The grip as recited in claim 1, wherein said material in said cap comprises a hardness value ranging from approximately 60 Shore A to approximately 90 Shore A, and said body including said tip end having a hardness value ranging from approximately 38 to 60 Shore A.
 5. The grip as recited in claim 1, wherein said extending portion of said cap comprises a plurality of branch elements constructed to provide stiffness to a selected portion of the grip.
 6. The grip as recited in claim 5, wherein said branch elements extend from an inner edge of said cap and have a cylindrical form.
 7. The grip as recited in claim 5, wherein said branch elements have a triangular shape constructed to provide stiffness to a selected portion of the grip.
 8. A hand grip, comprising: a tubular body having a hollow core constructed to slip on to a shaft of an implement, said body further including a cap at an upper end of said body and an open tip at a lower end for receiving the shaft, said cap having a portion extending into said body a selected distance, said cap having a hardness value greater than said body, wherein said selected distance of said extending portion of said cap corresponds substantially to a selected zone at the inner base of an open hand of a user.
 9. The grip as recited in claim 8, wherein said extending portion of said cap includes at least one annular groove and at least one annular ring for co-molding said cap with said body.
 10. The grip as recited in claim 9, wherein said extending portion of said cap includes a plurality of annular grooves and a plurality of annular rings for co-molding said cap with said body.
 11. The grip as recited in claim 8, wherein said material in said cap comprises a hardness value ranging from approximately 60 Shore A to approximately 90 Shore A, and said body including said tip end having a hardness value ranging from approximately 38 to 60 Shore A.
 12. The grip as recited in claim 8, wherein said extending portion of said cap comprises a plurality of branch elements constructed to provide stiffness to a selected portion of the grip.
 13. The grip as recited in claim 12, wherein said branch elements extend from an inner edge of said cap and have a cylindrical form.
 14. The grip as recited in claim 5, wherein said branch elements have a triangular shape constructed to provide stiffness to a selected portion of the grip.
 15. The grip as recited in claim 1, further comprising first, second, and third indicia, said first indicia having a first selected width and depth, said second indicia having a second selected width and depth different from said first indicia, and said third indicia having a selected width and depth different from both said first and second indicia.
 16. The grip as recited in claim 8, further comprising first, second, and third indicia, said first indicia having a first selected width and depth, said second indicia having a second selected width and depth different from said first indicia, and said third indicia having a selected width and depth different from both said first and second indicia. 